He is very skillful in Quran recitation and has a beautiful and inspiring voice that penetrates hearts when he recites verses from the holy Book.
But what makes his recitation exceptional is his unique style, which is now known as Karbalayi style.
"At first, I imitated the recitation of famous Qaris like Abdul Bsit Abdus-Samad and Muhammad Sediq al-Minshawi," he says.
"After a few years, though, I began to adopt my own style of recitation, which Iraqis like, and thank God it has been successful."
Al-Sarraf also recites Adhan (call to prayers) at the Astans (holy shrines) of Imam Hussein (AS) and Hazrat Abbas (AS) in Karbala.
He has been the main Qari of Imam Hussein (AS) holy shrine since the previous Qari passed away in 1974.
Born in 1950 in Karbala into a religious and Quranic family, al-Sarraf started learning the Quran and rules of Tajweed at the age of 15.
He studied Tajweed with Quran masters like Hajj Muhammad Hussain Katib, Hajj Hamoud Mahdi Saleh al-Najjar, Sayyid Hassan al-Sayf and Hamid al-Baram.
In 1970, he received permission for holding Quranic courses in Karbala and launched a number of courses in mosques and religious centers in the holy city.
In the following decade, because of his stances against the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein, he was forced to leave Iraq and go to Iran.
He spent several years in the cities of Qom and Tehran and held Quranic sessions in these cities as well.
Al-Sarraf, who is now back in his hometown of Karbala, and a prominent reciter of the Quran, underlines the need for promoting the Quranic culture in society.
He says families should encourage the youth and teenagers to attend Quranic sessions in mosques and religious centers so that the future generation will be one with deep connection to the teachings of the Holy Book.
http://iqna.ir/fa/News/1448171